Repairs
I’ve had my car for a little over six years now and I’m proud to say that it’s only been in “the shop” two or three times since I’ve had it. Now at 165K miles I’m surprised it’s still trucking along after all the hell I’ve put it through on the roads.
My little Echo has been in and out of the shop for the last week because of problems that should have been fixed a long time ago. About four years ago my check engine light came on and after spending close to $500 on it, and still nothing was resolved, I gave up. Aside from being a little sluggish when the engine began to warm up, there were no other problems that I experienced. I could live with that…
Before my trip to Japan, when my brother was driving me to the airport, he suggested that I get a tune up, and then I realized how long it’s been since it’s had a tune up. Never… Oops! Admittedly, I know nothing about cars except when to put gas in it and when my oil need to be changed.
The mechanic got started on my car last Wednesday and put new spark plugs in it, and he said something kept “missing.” After a couple days he figured out it was the fuel pump. He installed the new fuel pump but something else was still wrong. I knew my bill had to be racking up so I began stressing.
Fast forward to Wednesday when my car was picked up… To my surprise the bill only ended up being $327.65. I know he gave me one hell of a deal considering the amount of time he spent on it; he only charged $60 for labor! Apparently he figured out what else was wrong with it because I had a charge for the fuel pump and a mass airflow sensor.
I’ve only driven my car two days since the repairs but it is running so much smoother now. I don’t have any problems taking off when the engine is still warming up. The best part is after four years my check engine light is finally off! Let’s hope it just stays off and my car will last me until I graduate college. ha ha.
